


Making a Splash

by leporidae



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Day At The Beach, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Science Experiments, Summer Vacation, Summer of She-Ra Zine, Swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 16:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21323371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leporidae/pseuds/leporidae
Summary: The other princesses don’t quite understand her way of thinking, but that’s all right. Entrapta is perfectly content spending the summer tinkering alone.At least she thinks she is — until the letter arrives.
Relationships: Entrapta & Mermista (She-Ra), Entrapta/Mermista (She-Ra)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Making a Splash

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic about half a year ago for the [Summer of She-Ra](https://summer-of-shera-zine.tumblr.com/) Zine. So much has happened in the show since then that it feels a bit outdated to post it now, but I still had a lot of fun writing it. It was written after S1, after which I really loved the brief Entrapta and Mermista team up in the Freight Zone and wanted to explore their interactions more, even through something lighthearted and goofy like this. 
> 
> Entrapta remains my favorite character from the series and I'm happy to have had the chance to write her for a project.

Entrapta has always been fascinated by the magical powers of her fellow princesses. Sure, she’s a princess herself, but unlike her comrades she can’t snap her fingers and create sparkly force fields, or move glaciers effortlessly, or create corporeal nets out of thin air. Her dexterous twintails are handy but not particularly mystical, and despite being unique, they're more like extra limbs than a flashy spell or conjuration.

No, Entrapta’s true magic is the magic of _science,_ the thrill of configuring new inventions and unlocking the secrets of the universe with wires and gadgetry. With the right tools and an ample power source, a pile of junk scrap metal can be transformed into something useful and innovative beneath her eager fingertips. The ability to shape the universe to one’s own whims is magical too, in its own way.

The other princesses don’t quite understand her way of thinking, but that’s all right. Entrapta is perfectly content spending the summer tinkering alone.

At least she thinks she is — until the letter arrives.

She’s in the midst of programming an upgraded AI for Emily when she receives an invitation from the Princess Alliance for an extravagantly-titled “Princess Beach Bonanza.” The card is decorated with lots of glitter and tiny caricature drawings courtesy of Bow which make Entrapta snort with delighted laughter.

But her amusement dies down when she remembers that the beach is far from her natural element. Grains of sand always have the tendency to stick to her clothes and distract her from her work with their itchy texture. On top of that, water and technology mix together about as well as (miniature) orange juice and (miniature) toothpaste.

Still, Entrapta finds herself wanting to attend despite her misgivings. The other princesses already consider her an oddball even amongst their motley crew, and so fitting in with them is always an entertaining scientific dilemma — though figuring out how to do so is often easier said than done.

Entrapta’s mind wanders back to the beach. In her mind's eye she pictures the ominous rippling of the ocean, its depths too vast even for a scientist’s mind to comprehend. Yet at the same time, the ocean is also a new and uncharted frontier of discoveries. Who knows what kind of creatures —or even First One’s tech! — could exist just below the surface? Her fingertips twitch with excitement at the thought alone.

Alas, Entrapta is also aware that she is not the princess best suited for oceanic exploration. That award would have to go to Mermista, whose magic allows her to manipulate the waves and swim through the water effortlessly with her aquatic fish tail. Controlling water with her mind is out of Entrapta’s jurisdiction. It’s Mermista’s particular princess gift, and no amount of science will allow Entrapta to do something similar.

The tail, however, is a different story. It’s a physical appendage whose swimming utility Entrapta might be able to emulate with the right waterproof materials, which is an intriguing concept. The gears in her brain begin turning as her new idea throws her scientific imagination into overdrive. If she can build herself a streamlined swimming apparatus using Mermista’s tail as a prototype, she can join her fellow princesses in the water without awkwardly flailing about in her usual tangle of uncoordinated hair and limbs. Perhaps she could even make a groundbreaking discovery or two at this Princess Beach Bonanza.

With an almost deranged giggle, Entrapta flips her visor down over her eyes and spins her rolling chair over to her work table to begin the design process, possessed with the thrill of a new and wild idea.

* * *

And thus, the fated day arrives. The sun shines over the sparkling sand, birds caw overhead, and princesses giggle and build sand castles together under the shade of umbrellas — everything one would expect from a relaxing summer day.

It is amidst this peaceful atmosphere that Entrapta is about to unveil her newest invention.

Entrapta walks towards the coast using her hair as makeshift feet, not wishing to fill her boots with granules of sand. Cradled within her arms is the aforementioned metal tail, the harsh summer sunlight glinting off the metal rivets. It’s about half the length of her body — long enough to contain her lower torso and legs, of course — but is surprisingly lightweight for its size. Entrapta is quite proud of the trial and error it took her to determine the lightest and most durable metals for the project.

When Mermista, half submerged in the ocean, catches sight of Entrapta approaching, a look of pure disbelief flits across her face. “Uhhh… Entrapta? What the _heck _is that?”

“Do you like it?” Entrapta calls out, giggles turning to snorts as she tries (and fails) to contain her excitement. “I studied a plethora of different breeds of fish to decide on the shape — freshwater fish, saltwater fish, some prehistoric fish with interesting fin shapes — I even did some sketches of theoretical future fish that might evolve based on the projected patterns of evolution over the past few thousands of years of —”

“Hey, uh, Entrapta?” Mermista interrupts, raising an eyebrow. “That’s like, _super _cool and all, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Entrapta blinks. “Oh, sorry! Got a bit carried away there.” She inhales loudly to catch her breath. “I built this appendage to help me swim more effortlessly!” Proudly she places the metal tail in the sand at the edge of the lapping waves for Mermista to behold. “It’s based off your fin. I call it: _Mermista Swimming Prototype 2.0_. ...Working title, of course.”

A sideways grin curls Mermista’s lips, and she laughs. “What happened to 1.0?”

“Oh, that’s you!” Entrapta says enthusiastically. Using her hair to tilt her body perpendicular to the ground, she carefully slides her legs into the opening of the metal fish tail and clicks the safety clasp shut around her waist. “Are you ready for the maiden voyage, 1.0?”

“H-huh? Right now?” Nervously Mermista swims a few feet backwards. “Are you, uh, totally sure that thing’s safe? And not going to like, explode in the water?”

“I’m about 74% sure!” Entrapta says gleefully, wiggling her hips forward to dip the metal fin into the salty abyss. So far, so good. No signs of short circuiting either, which is a relief. As much as Entrapta wants to experience the aquatic life, she’d rather not become a _fried_ fish, thank you very much. “Can you give me a little tug so I can get into the water?”

Mermista still doesn’t quite seem convinced that invention isn’t going to detonate, but she complies with Entrapta’s request and pulls her the rest of the way in. A gasp escapes Entrapta’s lips as the weight of the metal fin pulls her down, and subconsciously she tries to kick her feet. The machine responds to her body’s signals and the metal joints of the tail begin to undulate back and forth in the water, just slowly enough to keep her afloat. It’s a bit more cumbersome than she had anticipated, but so far so good. Entrapta squeals with glee at her success.

“Neat.” Even the unflappable Mermista looks mildly impressed. “But can it do… this?” With a deft spin the aquatic princess swivels around in the water and raises her tail up high. Entrapta doesn’t have a chance to analyze the situation before the other princess slams her tail in the water, sending a massive wave cascading towards her. When she blinks her eyes open her bangs are plastered to her forehead, and Mermista is stifling laughter behind one hand.

But Entrapta is not irritated — far from it. “Wow, I didn’t know your tail was so flexible!” she exclaims, tasting the leftover salt of the ocean on her lips as water drips down her face. “Your magic is so _fascinating._ Can I run some tests later? I want to improve my prototype and create the _Mermista Swimming Prototype 2.1, _now with updated dexterity and increased efficiency. And perhaps a slightly catchier name. Ooh, or I can think even bigger than just a fish tail. Maybe I can start constructing a line of _aquatic robots_ to help the Princess Alliance with —”

Mermista splashes her again.

Entrapta can feel the weight of her waterlogged hair hindering her movement in the water. That was a variable she hadn’t accounted for. She’ll have to remember to also invent some kind of swim cap when she takes the prototype on its second test run in the future.

“Tests? Uh, sure. As long as they’re not dangerous. Whatever,” Mermista says with her signature eye roll, but she’s smiling. “But not during a beach party, yeah? Kinda kills the fun a little. Don’t you wanna go grab, like… an ice cream, or something? …A _tiny_ ice cream? You’re into that, yeah?”

Entrapta lights up. “Ooh, they have tiny food here? I may have severely underestimated this Princess Beach Bonanza.”

“Uh, we can probably get them to scoop you a little one,” Mermista says. In one fluid motion she leaps from the water and jumps back into the beach, landing on her feet as her legs transform. “You coming, Geek Princess?”

She remains suspended in the water as the reality of her situation hits her. “Um… ahaha, Mermista?” Entrapta grins sheepishly. “It seems I spent so much time reinforcing the securing mechanism for my appendage that I failed to account for the variable of my eventual extraction.”

There’s a blank expression on Mermista’s face as she processes Entrapta’s words. “Oh, you’re stuck in the tail.” A groan. “Okay, fine. _Ugh_. I’ll help you get out. But they better not be out of ice cream by the time I get this weird thing off you.”

“Well, if they are —” Entrapta twirls one wet strand of hair around her finger. “You could come to Dryl and make tiny sundaes with me! Obviously not at this very moment. More like some time in the conveniently designated future. I don’t get visitors very often. Well, that’s because most people are afraid of my robots. But I promise they will probably — most likely — not try to kill you!”

“Oh, how encouraging,” Mermista drawls sarcastically. “But uh, yeah, sure. Maybe.”

_Maybe?_

Entrapta clasps her hands together with unbridled glee. One of her fellow princesses had agreed to hang out with her! Well, _maybe,_ but that’s better than the _no thanks_ she usually gets from those who prefer to stay far away from her and her dangerous inventions.

Attending this event had been the right decision. Her invention had fallen a bit flatter than she’d hoped and proven to be more of a hassle than a boon, but it had helped her bond with Mermista, if only a little.

Perhaps the water isn’t so bad after all.


End file.
